Good show. Nice early 71 tour stuff.
Killer tight Johnny B Good.

McKernan doesn't get much action at this performance (Next Time You See Me and Hard to Handle are his only vocal contributions -- the keyboards are mostly inaudible except for tuning) but it's a scorching show and possibly the best of all the shows they played in Pennsylvania in 71 ... or ever? Maybe ...

There's some spots of static and distortion here and that low frequency hum that turns up on a lot of recordings from this era ... and there but overall the sound is superb. The absence of a keyboard provides some space for the audience to bleed through and those folks were having a grand time by the sound of things. And who can blame them?

Bobby's solo in China Cat is a bona fide solo -- the mix isolates him and Jerry perfectly. Weir is taking no prisoners and Jerry's solo is perfunctory -- perhaps he felt there was nothing to add! There was more than a bit of Hard to Handle funkiness in Bobby's riffalicious offering, Kreutzmann picks up on that and doesn't let go, resulting in a funkier than usual version of Rider.

Second That Emotion and Casey Jones keep the energy high as the first set ends. I always like it when Jerry instructs the audience to "mill around" or "hang out" while the band takes its set break.

The Bird Song to open the second set is a lengthy one for this period (around 9:00) with Jerry again providing Weir with an opportunity to stretch out. And thus ends the languid introspection portion of the show!

After Cutler and the band finishing haranguing the house to get the lights just right (this band really likes to see what's going on in the crowd!) Pig picks up the guiro for Sugar Mag. Jerry works his crybaby pedal for the duration. Weir's singing at the end is ridiculous. Fantastic version!

The rest of the second set pretty much speaks for itself, I think. Unbelievable.